Modern technology often presents difficult challenges to users, who often request assistance in meeting these challenges. Some technology providers and user groups offer resources to assist users. Such resources often reside on a network and, for example, can allow users access through an Internet browser. Typical examples of resources configured to assist users include a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, help files, technical information pages, knowledge bases, and other passive resources. Some resources include user forums where users can interact with each other to exchange information and assistance. Additionally, modern technology has enabled user groups to provide computer-based assistance for a wide variety of subject matter.
Some technology providers and/or user groups also provide active resources, such as a chat service or a guided-search database, for example. Active assistance resources often provide dynamic interaction with the user, such as when the user asks questions and receives real-time responses. In many cases, such systems employ automated systems to interact with the user.
Generally, these automated systems receive input from users, process the received input, and provide a response to the user based on the received input. Automated systems can reduce labor costs and wait times by providing a mechanism to provide simulated live interaction for a number of users virtually simultaneously. But conventional automated systems suffer from a number of significant disadvantages.
First, typical automated systems often misdiagnose the user's problem. Specifically, typical automated systems process user input by searching for predetermined words or phrases that are used by novice or beginner users. As such, when an advanced user provides user input that uses jargon or otherwise indicates a more sophisticated understanding of the user's problem, conventional automated systems may not be able to identify the problem because the advanced user did not use the predetermined words or phrases the system associates with the problem. Thus, typical automated systems may not be suitable for all user skill levels, which causes frustration and excess support costs for advanced users.
Second, even in situations where typical automated systems correctly identify an advanced user's problem, the response the typical automated system provides is nevertheless geared towards walking a novice user through the solution. In that situation, an advanced user must wade through large amounts of information unnecessary for the advanced user. This also can cause frustration and excess support costs, especially in situations where the advanced user needs assistance with wading through the excess information.
Third, some automated systems instead provide only advanced solutions, which are ordinarily not very helpful to beginning users. In such cases, novice users may not know the appropriate phrases to identify their problem, which can cause the automated system to misdiagnose or fail to diagnose or identify the problem. That is, each group of users at various skill levels requires a different level of feedback, but conventional systems typically only provide feedback at one skill level.
For example, a power user does not need the same kind of feedback or assistance as does a novice user. But typical automated systems provide the same answers to all users. As such, more advanced users must skim over large amounts of information to find the specific answer they seek. Or, in some cases, a novice user receives information that assumes too much skill, and the novice user may not even recognize the appropriate solution when presented to the novice user.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and/or method for user skill determination that addresses at least some of the problems and disadvantages associated with conventional systems and methods.